Chaos, Control, and Mystery
by Betterbuddy
Summary: Immediately following the events in S6's Semper Fidelis & Aliyah, the team adjusts to the loss of Ziva for her Somalia mission. Gibbs struggles as the leader of a broken team, trying to give each member the space to deal with the loss in his/her own way. However, he realizes that not all of the Gibblets are just suffering from the loss of Ziva. Angst S6 spoilers not slash
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This a fiction focusing on Gibbs as the father figure (showing his tough love) of the Gibblets with a Gibbs/DiNozzo focus.

**Story Summary**: Immediately following the events in S6's Semper Fidelis & Aliyah, the team adjusts to the recent events and loss of Ziva, who remained in Israel for her Somalia mission. Gibbs struggles as the leader of a broken team, trying to give each member the space to deal with the loss in his/her own way. However, not all of the Gibblets are just suffering from just the loss of Ziva. Meanwhile, Team-Gibbs has a unique case dropped in their laps.

**From Israel to Washington D.C.**

"So, she is really staying behind?" DiNozzo questioned again, looking to Gibbs with a pained and guilty face.

"Mmm." Gibbs mumbled closing his eyes, pretending as if he were sleeping. Vance gasped and looked to DiNozzo.

The three men remained in silence for the most of the trip. DiNozzo turned to Vance, trying to initiate a conversation but then he quickly thought better of it. Vance caught the effort out of the corner of his eye and waited for him to make a comment.

When DiNozzo fell silent, Vance stopped himself and leaned back. The second that the plane landed, Gibbs was ready to get out of the plane without saying a word to either of them. Vance glared at him a moment and turned to DiNozzo who was slow moving off of the plane.

"How is your arm?" Vance asked, as he turned to watch Gibbs exit the plane.

"Oh ugh . . .fine, sir." DiNozzo said. "Thanks you for asking."

Vance looked at him sympathetically trying to understand the guilt he had to be carrying at the moment along with the injury. Vance was beginning to feel guilty himself for putting DiNozzo in the position that he had with no support and for not having confidence in his abilities.

"Director?" DiNozzo finally said, noticing that he was examining him. Vance opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Sir?" DiNozzo redirected Vance from his staring. "Do you think Gibbs regrets leaving her there?"

"Why don't you ask him that?" Vance asked.

"I mean. . .do you think he regrets leaving her there and not just having me reassigned?" DiNozzo asked.

"D-i-N-o-z-z-o" Vance groaned, in an effort to distract him from the idea. However, it was a thought that came to Vance's mind before, which was not helping his own guilty feelings for coming down on DiNozzo so hard earlier.

When he was in L.A., Vance would hear about Team Gibbs from Director Shepard. She was always _singing the praises_. However, Vance found the connection that this particular team shared to be confusing and the relationships almost abusive at times. He spent the last year trying to understand it, and he was more confused now then he was before.

"You are worrying about nothing, DiNozzo." Vance tried to assure him.

"If . . .Gibbs tells you that he regretted his decision, can you tell me?" DiNozzo asked.  
"Tony." Vance said in unusually gentle tone. "That won't happen. Ziva is the one that made this about _you_. No one can give Gibbs an ultimatum the way that Ziva did. She needed her space, and he gave it to her. If she had just flat out asked to return to Mossad, Gibbs would have objected. I am sure that she will be back though."

DiNozzo nodded and processed the director's words. Vance could see that the words did have some comforting effect on DiNozzo.

"Thank you, sir. . . but can you tell me if he. . .?" DiNozzo tried to repeat the question.

"Yes." Vance interjected, waving off the comment, as he pointed DiNozzo in the direction of the ramp.

~STILL~

**Squad Room**

"Hey." DiNozzo said to McGee.

"Good Morning." McGee said. "Shouldn't your arm still be in a sling?"

"Nah." DiNozzo said shaking off his concern.

"What is new, Tim?" DiNozzo asked.

"Ugh. . ." McGee said, pausing a moment. "You called me, "Tim".

"I _did._" DiNozzo confirmed in a serious tone, looking to him for a moment.

"Well, I. . .I spent the night with Abby. She really misses Ziva. She said it is like losing Kate all over again." DiNozzo nodded and cringed from the news.

Coming from the director's office, Gibbs approached his desk slowly after talking with Vance.

"Morning Boss." McGee said, looking away from his examination of DiNozzo.

"Morning." Gibbs said looking to both of them. He noticed DiNozzo was no longer wearing his sling. He took a moment to examine him, but then looked away.

"We have been asked to help the investigation of a series of suicides. These suicides are of teenagers, whose fathers are currently serving in Iraq." Gibbs said, getting ready.

"Wow. . .I don't think we have ever had a case like this before."

"We support the Marines and their families. . ." Gibbs added, looking just as surprised at the cases' details. "Ducky has received the autopsy reports."

"Gear up." Gibbs said. "You two go talk with the families."

"Where are you going Boss?" McGee asked.

"The school." Gibbs said. ". . .where the suicides all occurred."

~STILL~

**NCIS Car lot**

"This is going to be weird with no Ziva." McGee said with a laugh, looking to DiNozzo.

"Here. . .why don't you drive?" DiNozzo said handing over the keys.

"O-kay" McGee said in surprise as he took the keys. McGee watched as DiNozzo sat next to him, noticing the pained face he had from pulling the seatbelt across his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" McGee asked.

"Yeah." DiNozzo smirked.

"Listen Tony. . ." McGee tried to prepare his words. "We are all missing Ziva."

DiNozzo nodded in agreement.

"But, I am the reason she is gone." DiNozzo said, looking to McGee.

"What? . . .No. . ." McGee said in surprise. "No, we just miss her. We all do. This isn't. . ."

"My fault?" DiNozzo said. "Well, she isn't here. She isn't here after telling Gibbs that the only way she would rejoin the team is if I was reassigned to another one."

"No. . ." McGee tried to laugh off the comment. "She is grieving. . .she didn't mean that."

"No?" DiNozzo said. "Vance asked if Gibbs regretted his decision, and Gibbs did not deny it."

"This was taken out of context." McGee snapped back. "Why did Vance tell you that anyway?"

". . I asked him to." DiNozzo said. "I wanted him to tell me if Gibbs regretted his decision of picking me over her."

"That isn't what happened, DiNozzo." McGee said. "He chose to give her the space she needed. This isn't about you directly. Gibbs regrets not trying harder to get her to grieve here with us."

"You are very wise, McGee." DiNozzo said.

"So, you believe me?" McGee asked.

"Sorry." DiNozzo answered softly.

"Tony." McGee warned.

"I appreciate what you are saying, Tim." DiNozzo said. "Thank you."

McGee shook his head looking to DiNozzo in irritation.

"So is Abby doing better after last night?" DiNozzo asked. "Did it help that you stayed with her?"

"Yeah. . .I think it did a little bit." McGee answered in frustration. "Hey, why don't you just talk to her?"

"What I was going to say before though. . .was that Ziva hasn't been with us that long. Somehow, we were able to do this job before without her, after we lost Kate." DiNozzo looked down and nodded.

~STILL~

**Squad Room**

Gibbs turned when he heard the elevator doors open. He stood up and waited for McGee and DiNozzo to join him. McGee was moving quickly towards Gibbs, but DiNozzo was straggling behind him.

"What did you find out?" Gibbs asked, looking to them both.

"Well, we met with Mrs. Simmons, who has not trusted the police's investigation of this case. The families confirmed that there was no known history of mental illness." McGee offered.

"Randy Simmons, was just accepted into an ivy league college. Tom Brady was about to finish his junior year in high school, and he was on the football team. And, the third teenager, Ronald Caldwell was also about to finish his junior year of high school." McGee explained. "All of them hung themselves. Tom hung himself in the locker room after a game. Ronald hung himself in the bathroom last week also, during a school dance. The latest one happened just yesterday. Randy Simmons hung himself in the middle of a classroom after school."

"The only things that they had in common was their fathers are serving in Iraq and they go to the same school." Gibbs added, looking to the quiet agent.

"Mrs. Simmons did want us to look into a boy named Leonard Todd, who was recently expelled from the school. His parents are very strong anti-war advocates. They have led some very cruel and violent protests. Leonard has picked fights with these boys, and he has harassed them about their fathers."

"We need to look into that, then." Gibbs said in response to McGee's information.

"Anything to add?" Gibbs asked, looking to DiNozzo. DiNozzo gave a soft grin.

"No, McGee said it all, Boss." DiNozzo said.

"Any theories?" McGee asked putting DiNozzo back on the spot. He just shook his head and smiled at McGee.

"What now?" DiNozzo asked softly.

"I will be talking with the fathers in MTAC." Gibbs said, looking over DiNozzo before leaving.

~STILL~

**Squad Room**

"What do you think he really wants us to do?" DiNozzo whispered, as they both stood in the center of the squad room.

"Tony, . . ._you_ know what he wants us to do next." McGee said, shaking his head. "The Leonard Todd family?"

"What is wrong with you, Tony?" McGee asked.

"I am sorry. I am just distracted I guess." DiNozzo said, sitting back at his desk.

"What is distracting you? Is this still about Ziva?" McGee asked.

"Is Abby still upset?" DiNozzo asked.

"Tony?" McGee asked.

"I'll check with Ducky." DiNozzo said. "Thanks for the concern, Tim."

~STILL~

**Autopsy**

"I will have this analyzed. Try not to think about this right now, Tony." Ducky said. McGee entered just in time to hear that sentence.

"Have what analyzed?" McGee asked, seeing that Ducky had just drawn blood from Tony's arm.

"Oh." DiNozzo said with a nervous laugh. ". . .nothing." DiNozzo tried to wave off McGee's concern.

"What is the blood test for?" McGee asked. DiNozzo shook off his concern again. DiNozzo grabbed the files that Ducky had handed to them.

"Ducky just told me, that each of the boys had traces of LSD in their systems." DiNozzo said.

Ducky put the vile with the sample of DiNozzo's blood out of sight when he saw that Gibbs was about to come through the autopsy doors.

"DiNozzo. . .the _director_ would like to see you." Gibbs said sarcastically as he entered, looking to Ducky.

"Ugh thanks Boss." DiNozzo said a bit embarrassed as he quickly left the room. Gibbs caught the way McGee was watching DiNozzo and the way Ducky seemed to be hiding something in his desk drawer.

"Well, . . .Anthony just took those reports. . ." Ducky laughed. "However. . ." Ducky continued to explain what he had learned.

~STILL~

**Vance's Office**

"I am not accepting this, Agent DiNozzo." Vance said, at the moment his office door flew open revealing Gibbs who came in to get the files.

"Agent Gibbs." Vance said a bit startled. DiNozzo jumped in surprise.

"Ugh Boss." DiNozzo said surprised.

"What is going on?" Gibbs asked, snatching the files from DiNozzo's hand causing him to jump again. Gibbs looked him over suspiciously as he waited for an answer from Vance.

"What aren't you accepting from Agent DiNozzo, here?" Gibbs asked forcing eye contact from DiNozzo with his examining stare.

"My apology letter." DiNozzo quickly fired out. ". . .to Mossad."

"Really?" Gibbs said in disbelief, still staring at him. Vance sighed and agreed with DiNozzo's quick response.

"Tony?" Gibbs said.

"Gibbs. . .?" Vance said. Gibbs lifted the files in the air and turned to leave the room.

~STILL~


	2. Chapter 2

**Squad Room**

"So, we want to find the source. The person who was bringing LSD into the school, and you want us to bring in Leonard Todd." McGee said but stopped when he saw DiNozzo approaching. McGee sat at his desk typing away, when DiNozzo tried to enter the squad room. He could not enter without having to maneuver around Gibbs, making it impossible to avoid attention.

"Boss. . . excuse me." DiNozzo said softly looking down as he awkwardly tried to get around Gibbs, who had not moved while he stared at him.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "Is there anything that you would care to share?"

"Ugh. . .what did you want me to do Boss?" He asked.

"Answer my question. Is Vance still punishing you for what happened?"

"No. . ." DiNozzo answered without elaborating. Gibbs looked him over before redirecting the focus of the conversation.

"Help McGee." Gibbs said, watching DiNozzo sit down and then struggle to type at his desk.

"On it Boss." DiNozzo said.

"Are you. . .favoring that arm?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo froze from the question.

He shook his head looking down and away from Gibbs.

"No, I am good." DiNozzo said.

"Why aren't you wearing the sling? It was a fracture." Gibbs asked.

McGee looked over and noticed that the arm that DiNozzo was favoring was actually the arm that he had blood drawn from too.

"Tony." McGee interjected. DiNozzo shot him a panicked look that did not go unnoticed by Gibbs.

"What is going on?" Gibbs asked him again. DiNozzo's eyes pleaded with McGee to let the question go.

"We are . . .just worried about Abby, Boss." McGee tried to cover for him.

"Abby. . .what about Abby?" Gibbs said.

"She really misses Ziva." DiNozzo said in a dull tone.

Gibbs turned to McGee and then back to DiNozzo trying to make sense of what was going on.

"We all do." Gibbs offered, still watching them. Then he headed off to check on Abby.

~STILL~

**Squad Room**

"Boss." DiNozzo shouted when Gibbs returned to the squad room. He could see that DiNozzo and McGee were gearing up.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"We just got a call from Randy Simmons' mom. She asked for us to come back." DiNozzo said. Gibbs nodded grabbing his weapon as well and joining them in the elevator.

When arriving at the home, they could hear loud smashing noises from inside. They quickly approached the home with the weapons drawn. Upon entering the residence after Gibbs pushed the door in, they found Mrs. Simmons screaming at her son, who was in a rage smashing and destroying everything in sight. Mrs. Simmons was screaming and begging them to stop her son.

DiNozzo and McGee went to restrain him. In the process of the boy's mad rage, the boy showed incredible strength. McGee was pushed into a cabinet and DiNozzo got elbowed directly into the nose. Seeing his agents attacked, Gibbs tried to jump on top of him. In the process, he managed to handcuff one of his arms and McGee got on top of him. As they both lay on top of the boy, Gibbs yelled to Mrs. Simmons to call 911. DiNozzo now stood over them both hands were covering his nose, with blood pouring out. He frantic tried to stop the bleeding.

After her son was in the care of the EMTs, she looked to DiNozzo standing to the side with his hands covered in blood.

"Agent DiNozzo, please . . ." Mrs. Simmons said pointing to the bathroom.

"Agent Gibbs that wasn't my son." She said. "Please you have to believe me that Harry would normally never do something like this. And, Randy. . .I don't believe that he committed suicide either."

Gibbs watched as the boy was now lying unconscious on a stretcher being taken to the hospital by the EMTs.

"Why did you call us? Why not just call 911 to begin with?" Gibbs asked.

"I feel my family is in danger." She said. "Randy was acting scared and weird last week before he died."

There was a knock on the bathroom door. DiNozzo reached out and pulled open the door.

"I'm. . .I'm sorry Boss. . .I just can't get it to stop." DiNozzo said with a nervous laugh. Gibbs nodded, looking to him in concern. He could see that DiNozzo was almost in a panic about this, and he was using his bad arm more than he should be.

"_Harry_. . .has been taken to the hospital." Gibbs said. "I sent McGee to sit with him. Hopefully, he will talk to McGee."

DiNozzo nodded in understanding. Quickly, DiNozzo shoved small pieces of rolled up toilet paper in his nose and scrubbed the sink of any specs of blood using the sanitizer under the sink.

"Let's go. . .DiNozzo." Gibbs said, gently grabbing his arm and starting to pull him out of the bathroom.

"I'm okay Boss." DiNozzo said immediately pulling himself away from Gibbs. After that strong reaction, Gibbs pointed him in the direction of the door without touching him this time. They got into the car. Gibbs looked to him and examined him closely with his investigator eyes.

"I am sorry about this, Boss." DiNozzo said holding his head up and keeping tissue near, incase his nose began to bleed again.

"Mmm." Gibbs said looking to him in concern, as he put the key in the ignition. He glanced back with a questioning look wondering why DiNozzo reacted to the whole situation the way that he did.

~STILL~

**Squad Room**

"Tony." McGee said angrily.

"I know, McGee." DiNozzo said as he ran into the squad room. "I am sorry."

"Where were you anyway?" McGee asked. ". . .You were with Ducky again weren't you? What did Ducky test you for?" McGee asked demanding an explanation this time, as he walked over to DiNozzo's desk.

"I. . ." DiNozzo shook his head.

"That is now the third time today that you have snuck down to see Ducky."

"Gibbs is suspicious now and I am not lying for you again." McGee said.

"Gibbs is suspicious because Vance keeps calling me in." DiNozzo said.

"Well, now this is making him more suspicious then." McGee said.

DiNozzo prepared his explanation for McGee, who was now standing over him.

"I had a _test_ done, when I was at the hospital for my arm. I found out when I got back from Israel, that the blood test came back that I was positive. . .for _something_."

"Ducky has now run the same blood test twice now, and I came up negative."

"That sounds. . .good then." McGee said, looking at DiNozzo curiously.

"And the test was for. . .?" McGee asked.

"I would rather not say." DiNozzo said, looking to McGee as if he already knew the answer. "After everything that happened during the wonderful trip to Israel. . .really nice place, Tim. You really should consider a trip there."

"DiNozzo." McGee warned.

"After everything with Rivkin, Israel, and the blood test, I tried to resign. That is why I keep getting called up to talk to Vance."

"Does Gibbs know about this?" McGee asked.

"Does Gibbs know about what, McGee?" Gibbs asked entering the squad room. He stood next to McGee now, standing over DiNozzo's desk.

"Do you have something to report?" Gibbs said a bit snobbishly after hearing the comment and no effort was made to answer his question.

"Harry Simmons said that he did get the LSD at a party. At first he was reluctant to answer, but he said that the person that gave him the LSD was Leonard Todd."

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, prompting him to engage in the conversation as well.

"I am still looking up information on the Todd family, Boss." DiNozzo said.

"Boss?" DiNozzo said, when he saw that Gibbs was glaring at him.

"What is this, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, setting a piece of paper on his desk.

"You said you were writing an apology letter to Mossad." Gibbs said strongly, watching DiNozzo grimace as he saw the letter. "If you want to resign. . .you are to resign to me, and you better be ready to justify your decision."

"Do you have one?" Gibbs said leaning in across the desk getting close to DiNozzo's face. DiNozzo quickly shook his head. Gibbs backed up and tore the letter in half.

"All right, Tony, let's go chat with Leonard Todd." Gibbs said.

"Boss I was. . ." DiNozzo said before getting cut off.

"McGee." Gibbs said.

"I will finish up what Tony started." McGee said.

~STILL~

"Tony?" Gibbs said after they drove out of the lot.

"What is going on with you?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo shook his head and shyly turned away.

"No sling today-resignation letter-secret meetings with Vance-Ducky has a file on you—you are sneaking down to autopsy, whenever I leave the squad room. You're not talking and you're extremely withdrawn. And. . .the reaction you had to that bloody nose earlier really concerned me as well."

"We just lost Ziva." DiNozzo offered.

"Yes. . .we did." Gibbs said. "She wanted to finish what Rivkin started."

"And you regret picking me over her?" DiNozzo said.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped in irritation ready to slam on the brakes. "I chose not to argue with her over her choice to finish out Rivkin's work. I wasn't about to leave you in Israel or get you reassigned. Where did you get an idea like that?"

"That is very nice of you to say that, Boss." DiNozzo said. "But we are still minus Ziva, and it was my fault." As soon as the words left his mouth, the car came to a screeching holt. Gibbs maneuvered the car into a parking lot.

"We are already minus a team member." Gibbs said. "But, I feel like two agents remained in Israel."

"I am sorry Boss. If you want me to do something, I'll do it." DiNozzo said in a dull tone.

"You know what I expect. You know your job, and you normally do it very well." Gibbs said. "Nothing else has changed."

"Listen, I understand you are shook up right now."

"Look at me." Gibbs ordered. DiNozzo obediently turned to face him.

"Are you sick?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo immediately shook his head.

"No sir." DiNozzo said.

"Drop the sir, Tony. . ." Gibbs said softly.

"Are you sick?" Gibbs asked again. DiNozzo knew he should never doubt "the Gibbs' gut."

"Ducky's tests came up negative." DiNozzo offered.

"For what?" Gibbs asked gently. DiNozzo looked at him embarrassed and then looked down.

"How is your arm and is your nose okay? You were in a panic about that nose bleed earlier." Gibbs said sounding exhausted from all the questions he had to ask.

"Do you remember back in March, after we returned from Arizona? You told me that you knew I was in a dating slump and that I needed to snap out of it?" DiNozzo said.

"I don't like where this is going." Gibbs said with a sigh. "Are you trying to distract me?"

"It took another few months for me to recover from my slump." DiNozzo explained. "but. . .a woman that I was with later told me that she tested positive _for_. . ." DiNozzo looked away before confirming Gibbs' thoughts.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs shook his head, flooded first with anger then with sympathy.

"Then I had to wait long enough to be tested. . ." DiNozzo said.

"It's negative?" Gibbs confirmed again.

"But, the first time I got a false positive." DiNozzo said.

"Why didn't you just tell me. . .?" Gibbs asked softly.

"Women that I have had one night stands with before have later told me that they were pregnant." DiNozzo laughed awkwardly. "And, that turned out false also."

"You need to be more careful." Gibbs growled but looked to him with concern.

"Are there any more secrets, Tony? How is your arm?" Gibbs said. "Come on, it was fractured."

"I just didn't want to wear the sling. It makes me look even more weak and pathetic." DiNozzo shook his head.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled. He glanced back at DiNozzo with a concerned expression.

"I'll wear it, when we get back."

~STILL~

They arrived at the home of Leonard Todd. There were flashing light and police cars surrounding the residence.

"What happened here?" DiNozzo said as they both approached the front door, where policemen were standing.

"We are with NCIS. We have been investigating teenage suicides related to. . ." Gibbs explained.

"Well, you'll have another suicide to add to the list. The boy that lives here, Leonard Todd, hung himself in his bedroom. He was found after his parents were arrested for drug possession and drug trafficking."

"We don't think those other boys died from suicides though, Agent Gibbs." The officer explained. "We found pictures in Leonard Todd's room of each of the boys hanging to their deaths."

"That is twisted." DiNozzo said. "He kept pictures?"

"This is still our investigation." Gibbs said.

"What else is there to investigate?" The officer said.

~STILL~

**Squad Room**

"Tony" Ducky said. "You told Gibbs and McGee?" DiNozzo nodded.

"Was there ever a doubt, Duck?" Gibbs said walking around him to get to his own desk.

"Have you talked to Abby yet?" McGee asked DiNozzo. He shook his head.

"You are scared to talk to her aren't you?" McGee asked.

"Go. . .NOW." Gibbs pointed. DiNozzo reluctantly stood after receiving the order and headed down to talk to Abby in her lab.

"You sure are pushing him hard, Jethro." Ducky stated.

"He needs this. He can't drag this on any longer." Gibbs said.

"Agreed." Ducky said. "But, it doesn't all have to be done in a day. You even forced him to wear his sling. Every time I see him I have said something. He only needs it a little longer."

"Well. . .I am not done with him either. Next, I am taking him up to talk with Vance."

"Who are we talking about?" Vance asked approaching the squad room.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs answered.

"Why do I need to talk to Agent DiNozzo?" Vance asked.

"I want you to stop blaming him." Gibbs stated standing up ready to argue with Vance.

"Mmm, . . .stop blaming him?" Vance questioned.  
"You threw him to the wolves in Israel. . ." Gibbs snarled.

"And, you let me." Vance said. The anger ignited in Gibbs and he was ready to fire back.

"DiNozzo and I already talked about this, Gibbs. It was very impressive the way Agent DiNozzo managed to turn the tables on Eli when he was being interrogated for Rivkin's death. DiNozzo got him to admit that Rivkin would only follow Eli's orders, and he did all of this when he himself was the one being interrogated." Vance said. Gibbs managed to relax himself after Vance provided him with this new information.

"I had not realized that Anthony . . ._had_ been interrogated." Ducky said with McGee looking equally surprised. "I never considered it actually."

"He already knows that I regret "throwing him to the wolves" without support or even faith in him. I underestimated him and his abilities." Vance explained.

"I am glad you set things straight with him then." Gibbs said sitting back down.

"How about you?" Vanced asked.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"Have you set things straight with him?" Vance asked.

"There is nothing to set straight." Gibbs started to say. "Wait a minute. . .somehow DiNozzo got it into his head that I regretted choosing him over Ziva."  
"Why did you tell him that?" Gibbs asked.

"He specifically asked me to." Vance said. "Why did you tell him what Ziva said in the first place?"

"Ziva had made the choice herself." Gibbs said.

**Abby's Lab**

Gibbs walked in to find DiNozzo up on a ladder hanging a poster that Abby made in tribute to Ziva. It was a collection of pictures like she had made before when the team was separated. Gibbs approached slowly from behind and stood watching them a moment. As he did this, he found DiNozzo's sling rolled up on top of the table.

"Oh hey there Boss." DiNozzo said in surprise, as he got down and turned.

"Hey, you put this thing back on." Gibbs ordered throwing the sling over to him. "We need more pictures, Gibbs." Abby said. He nodded.

The End

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